The conventional methods and means for curing tobacco leaves are archaic, makeshift, inefficient and inconvenient, to say the least. They are also unduly expensive. In most instances, the leaves are attached by hand to curing sticks, which are subsequently hung up or supported in barns having some means to provide hot air circulation into or through the leaves. With conventional practices, a great deal of time-consuming labor is involved in stocking the curing barn and in the subsequent removal of the cured tobacco. The air circulation system is crude generally, and results in uneven and incomplete leaf curing in many cases and under-curing in others.
The average cost of a tobacco curing barn today will be $6000-$7000 with the above-described imperfect results inherent in the arrangement.
The objective of this invention is to provide a much more efficient and reliable tobacco curing apparatus and method at about one-half the cost of the conventional prior art. Additionally, the invention eliminates a great deal of the hand labor customarily required for attaching tobacco leaves to hanger sticks and the invention allows for the mass handling of leaves in special curing containers where the leaves are properly oriented in relation to the flow of curing air for the most efficient and rapid curing. The apparatus is also constructed so that the curing air stream may be reversed to flow radially inwardly through the leaves in the foraminous containers as well as radially outwardly.
The invention also totally eliminates the traditional tobacco barn and instead thereof a much more economical curing structure is provided which can be quickly set up or dismantled with very little labor. A unique feature of the structure is that the several curing baskets or containers themselves form the body of the structure and need only be surrounded by a lightweight insulating wall which may be flexible. The base for the structure may be of concrete or a prefabricated metal base, if preferred. Means are also included to aid in the manipulation of the baskets which are quite heavy when loaded with tobacco leaves. Conventional burner and fan equipment arranged exteriorly of the curing apparatus may be employed.
Other significant features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description.